Blueberry Almond Loaf

Sep 6

Sep 6 Blueberry Almond Loaf

It’s September, but I’m not quite ready to acknowledge the end of summer. Our store still had some sweet, plump berries so I made this Blueberry Almond Cake as a sweet good-bye to the season. Banana Loafs and Pumpkin Loafs are perennial favorites, and I’m sure those will make an appearance on TBLSPOON later this fall, but right now I’m loving this unexpected flavor combination! Between the almond flour and almond extract, there’s a serious almond punch as well as lemon zest to help it all from becoming too sweet.

A couple of things to note: The batter may look a little grainy when you add the eggs, but it all comes together once all ingredients have been combined. Also, the batter is very thick, but don’t be tempted to slam the pan on the counter to get it into the edges of the pan. You’ll send all of the blueberries to the bottom! Instead, scoop the batter into the pan a little at time and gently spread it out with a rubber spatula.

This is one of those cakes that would go well with some champagne or Prosecco, so why not pour a glass and join me in toasting farewell to blueberry season!

You might also like this Strawberry Almond Cake.

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Blueberry Almond Cake Recipe:

Yield
1 loaf cake, approximately 8-10 servings

Difficulty
Easy

Equipment
8 or 8½-inch loaf pan. You can use a 9 inch loaf pan, but the cooking time will be shorter, so keep an eye on it.

Ingredients:

Cake:

110 grams fine almond flour
90 grams all purpose flour
1¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
⅛ tsp salt
150 grams (11 TBSP) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
170 grams granulated sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
¾ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp almond extract
200 grams fresh, sweet blueberries, picked over, stems removed

Glaze:
This amount of glaze yields a light veil like you see in the photos. If you want a thicker layer, I suggest doubling or tripling the recipe.

125 grams powdered/confectioners sugar, sifted
1 TBSP plus 1 tsp lemon juice, more as needed for desired consistency.

Adapted from this recipe from NYT Cooking.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Butter or spray an 8 or 8½-inch loaf pan, then line with parchment paper. Butter or spray the parchment.

Whisk together both flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Place one TBSP of the flour mixture in a medium size bowl. Set both aside.

Beat together butter, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, both extracts on high speed until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes. Beat the eggs in separate bowl with a fork then add to the butter/sugar mixture in thirds, then beat for another few minutes, scraping down the bowl to make sure everything is well blended. With the mixer at low speed, add the flour mixture ⅓ at a time until just blended, lightly scraping down the bowl between additions. Don’t overmix.

Toss the blueberries with the remaining TBSP of flour mixture until coated, then gently fold into the batter. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Tip: Coating the blueberries in flour should help prevent them from sinking to the bottom, but sometimes it happens anyway. Don’t fret, it will still taste delicious!

Bake for 30 minutes, loosely tent the top with foil to prevent over-browning, then bake for another 15-20 minutes. The cake is done when the edges have pulled away from the side of the pan, and if you press the top it springs back. If using a toothpick or knife, it should just have a few dry crumbs on it.

Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then lift out of the pan, remove the parchment and let cool completely on the rack before glazing.

Once the cake is cool, place the cake and the wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice, then pour the glaze over the cake. The pan will catch any runaway glaze. Slice and enjoy!